Three Words
by thatsmeinthetardis
Summary: Tony DiNozzo was having a great day. Then he got the phone call. And it only took three words to make his day fall apart. (TIVA)
1. Chapter 1

He'd fought serial killers. He'd tackled masterminds and thieves. He tracked down criminals every day. It was what he'd been doing for years. And yet all it took to defeat Tony DiNozzo was one phone call.

_Ziva's been shot._

Three words and his heart fell.

_We're at Bethesda._

Three more and he filled with dread.

_She's still alive._

Relief, but he was still terrified.

_She's in surgery..._

He could never imagine her under operation.

_..not looking good._

For the first time in a while, he felt fear.

_Come quick, Tony._

The phone call had been at about 9:00. Tony had been filling out a mountain of paperwork. He'd gotten a new probationary agent added on to his team. She was a nice girl, young. About 27. He'd gotten to work that morning and there was a hot cup of coffee and a chorus of "Good morning, Boss," from all 4 of his team members. They had no case today, so it was just filing things into archives and repeated trips to the coffee machine. Just another boring day at work. Or so he thought.

At 9:23, Tony pulled into the parking lot at the hospital. He had been panicking the entire car ride there. He jammed his finger against the elevator button and rode up in silence. The door opened, revealing the terror-stricken face of Abigail Sciuto. Tony was folded into a massive hug that lasted for about 30 seconds.

"Abby, where is she?"

"End of the hall. Room 231."

"Is she awake?"

"I don't know. They haven't come out for a while."

Tony started running to the end of the corridor. Abby yelled after him, "Tony, you can't go in there!"

He pushed the door open to Ziva's room. It banged against the wall loudly. 4 startled doctors jumped back and looked at him, surprise on their faces. Ziva lay on a hospital bed, at least three machines hooked up to her. Her usually olive skin was pale. The doctors took a second to break from their stupor, then came charging at Tony, pushing him out of the room.

"Sir, I'm sorry but you can't be in here."

"No, you've gotta-"

"I don't have to do any-"

"-that's my girlfriend in there-"

"-she's under critical condition-"

"I'm a Federal Agent-"

"I don't care who or what you are, you can't be in here!"

Tony was shoved out of the room by one of the men in scrubs. A hand laid on his shoulder. He turned around and met the eyes of Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

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**Hey readers! I hope you liked the first chapter. Working on the second. **

**Anyways, I write mostly about NCIS and Doctor Who, but I plan to start publishing stories for NCIS Los Angeles and other stuff. **

**Thanks for reading, chapter two will be up soon.**

**-J**


	2. Chapter 2

"When did this start?" Gibbs was staring down his senior field agent with a glare so intense it could kill. Tony leaned back and sighed

"We've been seeing each other for a while. Couple of months, actually."

"Tell me."

_Abby had outdone herself. The office was decorate with sparkly green and red wreaths, tinsel, and a gigantic fake tree, covered in little ornaments. Every morning there was a present on someone's desk. Abby had even hot-glued little bells to the bottoms of people's desk chairs, so that every time someone sat down or got up, the bell would jingle (that part annoyed the heck out of everyone, and Ziva had eventually found her bell, violently ripping it off and throwing it across the bullpen). But the tinsel, bells, and tree weren't the only thing Abby had put up. The black haired forensic scientist had hung up sprigs of mistletoe._

_They were in almost every doorway, above the entrance to the stairs, even right outside the elevator. Co-workers got caught under it all the time. If it was two men, a fist bump or a hug would suffice. For two women, it was a kiss on each cheek, like the French would do. But it it was a man and lady together, you had two options. A kiss on the cheek was good enough for everyone, but the courageous men went in for a full kiss on the lips. Most of those guys got big slaps across the cheek. But some sparked some new office romances._

_McGee gave timid little cheek kisses to women, and an awkward high five to guys. Gibbs too gave cheek kisses to women, but he just walked away when he was caught with a dude. With Abby, anything went. She usually gave cheek kisses just like everyone else, but with some men she would grab their faces and give a passionate kiss of red lipstick. Tony did the same as McGee, only slightly bolder and cracking stupid jokes. Ziva did not understand the custom. She put up an argument every time she got caught underneath a spring of mistletoe. Eventually, Abby excused her from the office tradition._

_It was late at night on Christmas Eve. McGee had gone out to dinner with Abby. Gibbs was working on his boat in his basement, and didn't want company. That left both Tony and Ziva in the bullpen, filling out late paperwork for a case. It was about 9:30 when they finished, and both started packing up for the night._

_"Going out tonight, Tony?"_

_"Nah. Just some beer and Christmas movies." He paused a moment before glancing her way and flashing a signature grin. "And you, Zee-vah?"_

_She smiled at the sound of her name stretched out in a way that only he could get away with. "Nothing. Maybe just a book, a glass of wine. Maybe I'll just sleep."_

_They walked out together, Tony babbling on about the classic Christmas movies. "So, Zi, that's why It's a Wonderful Life is the best. But I've always loved Polar Express..."_

_"Tony-"_

_"-and then you find out that the santa is actually-"_

_"Tony."_

_"-the little boy doesn't even really have a name, which is-"_

_"Tony!"_

_"-really weird... what?"_

_They were standing right in front of the elevator doors. He looked up and saw a tiny branch of green leaves and little white berries hanging a foot above his head. She met his eyes, and they stared tentatively at eachother for a minute. _

_Their lips crushed together. And for the first time in 14 years, Ziva wasn't alone on Christmas Eve._

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**So that's how their relationship started. Hope this chapter was any good. Thanks for all your lovely reviews and support. Feel free to post some more. :-) Anyways, I can't wait to write some more chapters (but I've got school, so it might be a week or so). I'm aiming for five. Love you all!**

**xoxo, J**


	3. Chapter 3

"Rule number 12, DiNozzo."

Tony hated that rule. Before Ziva had come to NCIS, he'd never really followed it. Mostly because the only office flings he had were people he didn't work directly with. Never with someone that he would have to spend a day working next to, but that was because he never really felt that way toward his female co-workers. Abby was like his little sister. He had loved Kate, sure, but only had a good friend. But then Ziva had sauntered into the bullpen with a blue scarf tied up in her brown curls. He'd been intrigued immediately, but she was only there temporarily. Or so he thought.

Soon she was sitting in the desk across from him, working with him every day. Messing up her English, which he secretly loved. He wasn't quite sure _when_ he'd fallen for her, but he just knew that he had. She was making him crazy every day. But so was that rule.

"Boss, you know that's she's more than a coworker. To both of us. I love her so much. Yeah, I work with her. But that won't change anything. You, of all people, should understand that."

Ziva was someone Gibbs admired. He had first met her, and hadn't been able to read anything. She had earned his trust in the fastest time that anyone had ever earned his trust, and proved where she belonged. She was loyal. She was lethal. And she was determined. Exactly like him. Proving herself over and over, he was in a grudging awe of her. And he was able to see through her facade. She was like a daughter to him.

"If you hurt her, I will pulverize your eyeballs with a pencil," Gibbs grumbled indistinctly.

"Huh?"

"Nothing."

Silence

"So?"

"So what?"

"So what do you say?"

Silence

"Are you gonna marry her?"

"Whoa, Boss. That's a little-"

"Should I expect grandchildren sometime soon?"

"WHOA Boss, that's way too-"

"I was kidding, DiNozzo."

Silence.

Gibbs got up from the bench. "Just don't break her heart."

Tony smiled. "Never."

"Also, I believe rule number 5 is appropriate."

Tony smiled, immediately recognizing what his boss meant. "Of course."

Gibbs walked down the hall. He rounded the corner and chuckled. "Well Tony, I'm just glad she's not dating McGee."

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**Rule Number 5: You don't waste good.**

**Thanks for all of your lovely comments. Keep them coming. (nothing rude, please) I know I said I wouldn't be updating for a while, but I found some time in my school week, because I'm going to Hawaii soon and won't be able to update there. So here's chapter three. I hope you all liked it. I certainly had fun writing. Especially the end. Thanks for all your support and for following, favoriting, and reviewing. xoxo-J**

**Chapter 4 (sneak peek)-**

**"Mr. DiNozzo? She's asking for you."**


	4. Chapter 4

"Mr. DiNozzo?"

A petite nurse in her thirties had come into the waiting room, with a name tag reading MARCIA. She held a clipboard and smiled a red lipstick grin. "She's asking for you."

Tony jumped up from his seat in an armchair and nearly tripped over his overnight bag. It was almost 11:30 in the evening. Most of the team had left around 7:00 or 8:00, but Tony had insisted on staying overnight. Abby had gone to his house and packed a bag for him, dropping it back off at the hospital before going home.

He had been sitting for a while in the waiting room. She had gotten out of surgery around 9:00, and still hadn't regained consciousness. Tony had passed the time mostly by flipping through an old issue of Us Weekly from 2002, but he couldn't remember anything about it. He was so worried about Ziva, the words didn't even register in his mind. Also, he didn't really care.

Tony followed the nurse down the hall towards Ziva's room. "How is she?"

"Miss David is a strong one. Not many people can take a bullet to the abdomen and survive."

Tony smiled. "That's her. Strong."

"Yeah, for a while we weren't really- turn left here- sure she was gonna make it. There were some complications to the surgery. But she made it after all. She's even healing very fast, too."

"When did she wake up?"

"Oh, about 45 minutes ago. She couldn't really talk, so we had to give her some water, some non-solid food. She started asking for you the minute she could speak. Are you her fiance or something?"

"Boyfriend. But sometimes I wish I was her fiance."

Marcia giggled. "Oh, that is too cute. I wish my husband were that romantic."

Tony was silent. They came to a stop in front of her hospital room.

"Alright, here we are! Room 231. She'll be so pleased to see you."

Tony grinned with his famous DiNozzo charm. He couldn't wait to see Ziva. "Thanks Marcia."

"Of course."

Tony watched as she walked down the hall and entered a room about six doors down. Then he turned to the door. He was finally going to see her. He couldn't wait for her smile, her laugh, her voice. Heck, even her name would make him happy right now.

Tony was about to grab the knob when the door opened and a young woman stepped out. She was short, lean, Asian. She wasn't dressed in the standard scrubs for Bethesda doctors and nurses,wearing a pair of white pants with a navy blue blazer instead. She carried a clipboard that said Pink+Blue Medical Center.

"Hi! You must be Tony. I'm Doctor Cameron."

"But you don't work here."

She smiled. "Oh, no. I'm Miss David's ob/gyn."

"Well, it's great to meet you."

"You too." She started down the hallway.

"Wait!" Tony turned around. "You're her ob/gyn?"

Dr. Cameron turned around abruptly. "Um, yeah."

"Why are you here?"

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**Hey guys! Hope you liked this chapter. I hope you guys understand what's happening. (Hint hint: ob/gyn) I'm hoping to post a few more chapters, then I'll be done. Thanks for all the great reviews. They make me so happy and motivate me to write. **

**I love to write Tiva, and also really would love to write some Densi stuff too. If you have any suggestions that you would like to see me write, leave them in the comments and I'll do my best!**

**xoxo, J**


	5. Chapter 5

Tony smiled softly when he saw his girlfriend's face. It had regained some one its color, which was great. But she was still very pale. She wasn't hooked up to as many machines as before, and had a bowl of soup on her bedside table. Her bed was cranked up so she was sitting in an almost upright position. And she smiled back at him. Her eyes were bright, but even from a distance, Tony could tell they were just a little bit red.

"Hey Tony."

"Zee. You were worrying me."

"Sorry. I'll try to stop."

He chuckled, leaning over her bedside and kissing her on the cheek. They were both silent for a moment.

"I ran into Dr. Cameron outside."

Ziva sighed deeply. "Oh, that is good."

"I asked her why she was here."

She knew where he was taking this conversation. "And what did she say?"

"To come talk to you."

"And that is precisely what you are doing, is it not?"

"Zee, what is your ob/gyn doing here?"

Ziva exhaled and rested her head back on her pillow. She wasn't ready for this. Not now. But Tony deserved to know. He had to know.

"I was going to tell you. Next week, for your birthday. I had a little ultrasound picture, I was going to put in on your cake."

Silence again.

"You... pregnant?" Tony managed to murmer.

She nodded and lowered her eyes.

"You were shot in the abdomen."

"Yeah."

"The nurse said- complications in the surgery."

"Yeah."

"The baby... did they make it?"

She looked up at him. Tears were welling up in her eyes, mixing with pain and heartbreak. "What do you think?" Her voice broke.

He pulled her close and stroked her hair as she cried into his shoulder. But she stopped crying at an almost superhuman speed, and was composed in seconds. She stared straight ahead at the wall with such intensity, Tony thought she might burn a hole through it.

"How far along were you?" Tony asked cautiously.

"Only two months. Morning sickness started a week ago, remember?"

He did remember, but he'd thought it was food poisoning from the taco truck they had visited. Ziva's had been undercooked. Or so he thought.

"You would have made a great mother, Zee." He imagined her holding a baby, singing in the kitchen while she made gingerbread cookies, Tony's personal favorite. She probably would have been over-protective (and very aggressive), but a wonderful mom.

"And you would have made a great father." He smiled at the thought of himself carrying around a babbling child in a Ziva-demanded baby papoose.

"Maybe, someday we both will."

"Be great fathers?" said Ziva, genuinely confused.

"No, be great parents."

She nodded and smiled, ever so slightly. "Someday."

Silence again. But this time it wasn't a heavy silence. This time they were both thinking about the future. About their future together.

"Also, it might be a good time to tell you that Gibbs knows."

She shot up in her bed, wincing at the pain that had shot up from her abdomen. "He knows about the baby?"

"No, he knows that we're together."

"Oh, I thought he had already figured it out."

"No, actually, we did a pretty good job at keeping a secret."

"And he is okay with it?"

"Well, yeah. He kinda broke rule twelve first, so it's not really valid anymore."

She sighed, and leaned back in bed. "Good, I was almost going to break down and tell the whole world." She leaned oven and took his hand. "I love you Tony. So much."

He gave her fingers a squeeze, then gave her a kiss. "I love you too, Zee. We're going to be okay."

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**Hey, people! I thought I was gonna have an awful case of writers block after chapter 4, but the idea for chap. 5 popped into my head during school. I wrote it down on a sticky note and the back of my hand. And here it is, weeks earlier than I thought it would come. **

**I'm sorry to disappoint all of you who wanted a Tiva baby. I wanted one too, but it's just not that kind of fic. Do not lose hope, because you all heard Tony. "Someday." **

**Thanks for all your lovely comments, please feel free to leave more! Don't leave anything rude and/or vulgar. **

**Love you all! xoxo- J **


	6. Chapter 6

_A year later_

Rule number twelve had met its match. Finally.

Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David had been dating for almost two years. They had been working together for almost ten. They had been annoying each other for all eternity. And loving each other too.

The pair told their team about their relationship shortly after Ziva's hospital discharge. Ducky was overjoyed, Palmer spouted congratulations like a teapot. Abby was infuriated at first, because she hadn't been told sooner. Then she became exuberant, squeezing both agents with the tightest of hugs. And McGee reluctantly handed the forensic scientist a crisp $100 bill. She had finally won their bet that had been going on for eight years.

Now it was Christmas Eve, their two year anniversary. Abby had outdone herself. The office was decorated with sparkly green and red wreaths, tinsel, and a gigantic tree, covered in little ornaments. Every morning there was a present on someone's desk. It was fabulous, festive, and holiday-perfect. So perfect, that Abby decided to throw a holiday party.

It was a fabulous occasion. People mixed and mingled, sitting on desks and drinking. Gifts were exchanged, embraces were shared. Everyone was smiling. Even Gibbs had a tiny little grin on his face, which grew when a tipsy Abby sat down next to him and pressed an enthusiastic kiss onto his cheek.

Everyone planned to stay until the Christmas Eve turned into Christmas Day. At about 11:30, champagne glasses were passed out. It was time for the open toast. A space was cleared in the middle of the bullpen, and there was a mic open to whoever wanted to propose a toast. Director Vance toasted to another year of hard work and protecting people. McGee toasted to the new computers that the team had recieved last month. "Even Tony can operate them!" said McGee as walked back into the crowd. Tony shot him a death glare from across the bullpen.

Most people toasted to their jobs, or their family, or their friends. It was nearing midnight when Tony stood up and grabbed the mic. He walked to the "stage".

"I'd like to propose a toast to the ever amazing Ziva David."

The crowd hushed at his words. Ziva was sitting on her desk. People cleared away from her so that no one was between her and Tony. She set down her glass of champagne and smiled.

"Zee, this is where we first met. Here in the bullpen, so many years ago. I'm so glad that we met. Because honestly, I would be a wreck without you."

"True," she admitted. Everyone laughed, including Tony.

"God, what else do I say? You're amazing. Truly. You've just become a part of my life, and I'm so grateful of that. Couldn't live without you, I guess. Tried, couldn't."

She smiled, remembering those words he had used before. McGee remembered too, now understanding what he had meant back then.

"I don't want you to ever be alone again. So..."

He knelt down in the middle of the bullpen and pulled a little black box out of his jacket. Grinning a charming smile, he uttered three words. Three words that would change both their lives forever.

"Marry me, Ziva?"

She nearly fell off her desk in shock. Her eyes were wide as he flipped open the box and revealed a platinum band dotted with pavè diamonds and holding a solitaire stone in the middle. Slowly she walked out into the middle of the bullpen. Who needed three words? She only needed one.

"Yes."

He slipped the ring onto her finger and got up, wrapping her in a warm embrace. Everyone applauded as they kissed in the middle of the bullpen, smiling. Abby saw her chance and ran up to them, grabbing the mic from Tony's hand.

"To Tony and Ziva!"

Champagne glasses were held high in the air, and everyone cheered. Abby looked up at the clock on the wall. 12:01.

"And Merry Christmas!"

**The End**

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**Well, that's it. Thanks for all your amazing reviews, and feel free to post more! I will definitely be writing more Tiva fics, and for all of you who watch NCIS: Los Angeles, I'm gonna start some Densi. **

**Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone. I enjoyed writing this story. Love you all!**

**xoxo, J **


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